All Sorrows Can Be Borne

by Loren Stephens

Inspired by true events, All Sorrows Can Be Borne is the story of Noriko Ito, a Japanese woman faced with unimaginable circumstances that force her to give up her son to save her husband. Set in Hiroshima, Osaka, and the badlands of eastern Montana and spanning the start of World War II to 1982, this breathtaking novel is told primarily in the voice of Noriko, a feisty aspiring actress who fails her audition to enter the Takarazuka Theater Academy. Instead, she takes the “part” of a waitress at a European-style tearoom in Osaka where she meets the mysterious and handsome manager, Ichiro Uchida. They fall in love over music and marry. Soon after Noriko becomes pregnant during their seaside honeymoon, Ichiro is diagnosed with tuberculosis destroying their dreams.

Noriko gives birth to a healthy baby boy, but to give the child a better life, Ichiro convinces her to give the toddler to his older sister and her Japanese-American husband, who live in Montana. Noriko holds on to the belief that this inconceivable sacrifice will lead to her husband’s recovery. What happens next is unexpected and shocking and will affect Noriko for the rest of her life.

Eighteen years later, her son enlists in the U.S. Navy and is sent to Japan. Finally, he is set to meet his birth mother, but their reunion cracks open the pain and suffering Noriko has endured.

With depth and tenderness, All Sorrows Can Be Borne is a harrowing and beautifully written novel that explores how families are shaped by political and economic circumstances, tremendous loss and ultimately forgiveness.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Japan, War, Japanese Literature

360 pages, Hardcover

First published May 11, 2021

About the author

Loren Stephens is a widely published essayist and fiction and nonfiction storyteller. Her work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, MacGuffin, the Jewish Women’s Literary Annual, The Forge Literary Magazine, Crack the Spine, Lunch Ticket’s Amuse Bouche series, The Write Launch, The Summerset Review, The Montreal Review, and Tablet travel magazine, to name a few. The book she co-wrote with Cliff Simon, Paris Nights: My Year at the Moulin Rouge, was deemed one of the best titles from an independent press by Kirkus Book Reviews. A two-time nominee of the Pushcart Prize, Loren is president and founder of the ghostwriting companies, Write Wisdom and Bright Star Memoirs. Prior to establishing her company, Loren was a documentary filmmaker.

Among her credits are Legacy of the Hollywood Blacklist with on camera narration by Burt Lancaster, produced for PBS and nominated for an Emmy Award; Sojourner Truth: Ain't I A Woman? produced for Coronet Films and recipient of a Golden Apple from the National Education Association; and Los Pastores: The Shepherd’s Play produced for the Latino Consortium of PBS and recipient of a Cine Gold Eagle and nominated for an Imagen Award. She is a member of the National Commission of the Anti-Defamation League; a member of its Deborah Awards Committee for Outstanding Women; and a member of Greenlight Women, an organization of women in the entertainment industry who serve as mentors.

Reviews

[Angela M · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up

There were several parts of this story that I found to be filled with so much emotion and I was moved. It was heartbreaking and gut wrenching to read about a seven year old girl’s experience of living in Hiroshima during the bombing. This little girl, later in life as a woman, facing a decision no mother should have to make was also heartbreaking.

The part of the novel covering the time in between these events was way too slow and I had a hard time getting through it. However, the ending was touching and satisfying. Knowing from the author’s note that this was based on her husband and his family’s story gave it a poignancy that had been missing during the reading, so I had to round up .

I received a copy of this book from Rare Bird Books through Edelweiss.

[Taury · Rating 5 out of 5]

All Sorrows Can Be Born by Loren Stephens is a fantastic book based on true events. Following a Japanese girl, Noriko from Hiroshima to 1982. The book takes places in Japan and Montana. 5+🌟

[Nursebookie · Rating 5 out of 5]

All Sorrows Can Be Borne is a story of historical fiction, inspired by true events about author Loren Stephens husband’s Japanese birth parents and the sacrifice, hopes and dreams to give him a better life.

The story is a sweeping saga that begins during WWII through 1982, and set in both Osaka and Montana. The story is told primarily in the voice of Noriko an aspiring actress in Osaka who falls in love with Ichiro Uchida, the manager of the tearoom where Noriko worked as a waitress. They fall in love, marry and start a family with a healthy baby boy. But their happy ending is shattered when Ichiro is diagnosed with tuberculosis. They perform the ultimate sacrifice by sending their precious son to her older sister who lives in the badlands of eastern Montana.

This story is so well-written that really portrayed the sorrow Noriko had to bear. The writing of Noriko’s character and how she developed from having a very spoiled and privileged upbringing to all the suffering she had to bear as a mother and then to lose her son is incredibly portrayed. Stephens captures the true essence of love, family and loss in a beautiful way.

In this emotionally charged and heartfelt read, Stephens writes about resilience, strength and courage framed within the backdrop of the Japanese culture and important political climate of the time.

I highly recommend this powerful novel.

[Aakanksha Jain · Rating 4 out of 5]

All Sorrows Can Be Borne is inspired by actual events. It is the story of Noriko Ito and her losses; the premise is set up in Japan.

The story is an emotional roller coaster ride, where Loren Stephens narrated the aftermath of war and its consequences, the Japanese traditions and culture. Noriko's unconditional love for Ichiro is shown throughout the book. The story portrays the characters' many social dilemmas and traumas, leaving the reader with heart-wrenching emotions.

Even with all the language barriers she endured, the author did well. The story is heart-touching and opens a gateway to a different culture, which I mainly enjoyed. I definitely recommend this book.

Read the detailed review here - Books Charming

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

All Sorrows Can Be Borne by Loren Stephens is a true story about a Japanese woman named Noriko Ito. She’s put in an unimaginable position.

This is a poignant story of love, sacrifice, and perseverance. Loren Stephens took her research seriously, allowing her readers a very insightful view into Noriko’s world. This was a sad read, which caused me to shed a few tears, bit it was also a beautiful story with beautiful writing.

All Sorrows Can Be Borne is a book you don’t want to miss. Captivating writing will make it very difficult to set down this inspiring story. Highly recommended.

Thank you to Over The River PR for the opportunity to honestly review this book on the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t stand Ichiro (completely unbearable at times) but I loved Noriko, Hishashi & Setsuko, along with the other characters. And after all the sorrow I am glad it ended on a note of happiness and hope.

[Jasna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sad but well-written story based on true events that unfolds in Japan from the post-World War II era until the 1980’s. The main character, Noriko, is persuaded to give up her son in a desperate bid to "save" her husband and salvage their marriage. However, this decision burdens Noriko with a lifetime of regrets, as she navigates the enduring consequences of her sacrifice. Through Noriko's tale, the story delves into the depths of intergenerational trauma, illustrating how the choices of one generation can shape the lives of their descendants, perpetuating a cycle of pain and sorrow.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sad well-written novel that was based on real events. It covers the years from the start of World War II to 1982 in Japan and is told mostly by Noriko. We see her age from a brave and talented teenager to an older woman with a life full of sorrows who finally finds happiness.

Noriko was a talented and spoiled young girl who planned to be an actress. Even though she was at school when the bomb was dropped at Hiroshima, none of her family was injured. Her father spoiled her and paid for extra lessons so that she could achieve her dream. When she doesn't get accepted into Theater Academy, she has no idea what to do with her life. She goes to live with her sister in Osaka and takes a job as a waitress at a tea room that her sister owns. There she meets Ichiro - a quiet and contemplative man who had a rough upbringing but was working to turn his life around. They fall in love and get married. She gets pregnant on their honeymoon and right after they return from their honeymoon, Ichiro is diagnosed with tuberculosis. Their dreams for the future are shattered. When Ichiro convinces her to send their 3 year old son to America to be adopted by his sister and their husband, she is totally heartbroken but feels like they have no choice. Her life is filled with sorrow at the loss of her beloved son.

This story is filled with sadness for Noriko but like many people, she handles life and her marriage as best she can while being consumed with sorrow for her son. She is much stronger than she believes she is and life keeps presenting her with situations that she has to handle. She is a well written character and I could feel her sorrow at the loss of her son and cried with her several times. Even though parts of the story are sad, the overwhelming feeling at the end is of love and the importance of family.

This book was very interesting for me because I learned a lot about the Japanese culture and foods. This is a book that I'm still thinking about several weeks after I finished it. It was a wonderful look at the strength of a resilient woman as she dealt with the hardships of her life.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

[Grace J Reviewerlady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a touching tale .. and all the more poignant as it's based on a true story.

Beginning at the time the nuclear bomb is dropped on Hiroshima, we meet Noriko, just a child at the time. Following her through her life we learn about her career ambitions, her romantic life and where life takes her and those she loves.

What a story! Beautifully told in a gentle, tender manner befitting the Japanese culture. As with most of our lives, Noriko has happy moments and absolutely devastating ones and there is a great deal of heartbreak in these pages but, like most of us, she has no other choice but to pick herself up and carry on through each day as best she can. With Japanese relatives, this was of particular interest to me and it is utterly fascinating but also a calamitous tale and every mother reading this will shudder at the hard choices Noriko is faced with. This is written with heart and understanding and really is an awesome read. My only criticism would be that the blurb gives everything away - luckily I don't read that before beginning but I can imagine that anyone doing so finds it disappointing. A very appealing - but sorrowful tale - and one I'm happy to give 4*.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm really struggling with this book. It is an interesting idea for a story, but the author clumsily adds details about Japanese culture to the story in a way that makes it seem she is trying to prove her level of knowledge rather than because they are a natural part of the story.

And some of the other details, like the main characters teaching their son lyrics of American folk songs even though they do not speak English or understand American culture, or the number of times she name drops President Kennedy or Jackie O feel hamfisted.

I don't subscribe to the view that writers can only write about their own culture and experience. We depend on them to imagine other experiences for us. But I do wonder whether this writer should have chosen this culture for her book. I felt like maybe some of the knowledge of the culture was perhaps lacking and that is why she seemed so desperate to share her knowledge with her readers in other areas.

[Book Reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loren Stephens’ All Sorrows Can Be Borne is a poignant historical novel that threads love, grief, and cultural displacement into a deeply personal story. At the heart of the book is Noriko, a Hiroshima survivor, who must make the unimaginable decision to send her young son across the ocean to be raised by relatives in America. The story unfolds as both a tribute and an excavation of memory, of war, loss, and survival, told with a haunting, lyrical voice.

The opening chapter is profoundly affecting. The scene at the airport, in which Noriko and her husband Ichiro part ways with their young son Hisashi, is rendered with quiet intensity. It is not overwrought or sentimental; instead, it is measured and heartbreakingly restrained. The emotional impact lies in the understated details, Hisashi’s carefully chosen outfit, the heart-shaped box containing his umbilical cord, Noriko’s silent anguish as she tries to maintain composure. Stephens allows the emotion to unfold subtly, never forcing it, and this delicate control makes the moment all the more powerful.

One of the novel’s most compelling achievements is how it interweaves personal tragedy with the broader scope of historical trauma. Noriko’s recollections of surviving the Hiroshima bombing are not presented merely as historical context; they form the emotional core of her character. The stark imagery of black rain falling from the sky, scorched bodies in the streets, and a city in ruins conveys a haunting sense of devastation. Yet amid this bleakness, there are glimmers of resilience. Her father’s remark that her scarred forehead might one day be seen as a mark of uniqueness offers a moment of unexpected tenderness and wisdom.

Equally striking is the novel’s psychological complexity, particularly in the relationship between Noriko and Ichiro. Ichiro is a difficult figure, physically ailing, emotionally withdrawn, often sharp and unkind, yet Stephens renders him with empathy. His fear, frustration, and shame are palpable. A particularly heartbreaking moment occurs when he tells their son, Hisashi, that they will follow him to America on the next flight, a deliberate untruth meant to ease the child’s separation. It is a quiet betrayal, but one born of desperation. Later, Noriko’s acknowledgment of her own complicity, when she admits, “neither of us deserved him,” is devastating in its candor. It captures the depth of her remorse and the inescapable weight of their decision.

I’d recommend All Sorrows Can Be Borne to anyone who loves character-driven stories with emotional weight. It’s especially powerful if you’re drawn to historical fiction that isn’t about battles, but about what happens after. This book is for people who want to feel something real and lasting, something that lingers. It is not an emotionally light read, but it is unquestionably worthwhile.

[WeLoveBigBooksAndWeCannotLie · Rating 5 out of 5]

All Sorrows Can Be Borne by Loren Stephens was gifted to us by @otrpr! It goes on sale May 21!!!
This books is inspired by true events. Noriko is a young aspiring actress from Hiroshima, she was injured when the US dropped the bomb on the town during WW2. Luckily, so far, she has not suffered any strange illnesses. Ichiro is a struggling manager of a restaurant. Fate brings them together when Noriko is sent to live with her sister, the owner of the restaurant where Ichiro works.
They eventually find themselves married and expecting a little one. When Hisashi is just a baby, Ichiro is diagnosed with Tuberculosis. He becomes convinced that Hisashi will have a better life if he is sent to live with his sister in America. Noriko finally relents and agrees with Ichiro and it’s a decision she will regret for the rest of her life. Tragedy strikes soon after Hisashi is sent to America and Noriko’s life will forever be changed.
This is a story of love and heartache. I very much enjoyed Noriko’s character and felt like I really knew her. I can’t imagine having to make the hard decisions that she had to make for her family.
Make sure to visit our Amazon Storefront on 5/21/21 to purchase this book

[Stephanie Sienkiewicz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t know quite what to make of this book - I think it is a well-written, important book with some insufferable characters. The characters are vivid and imperfect; the book is steeped in Japanese culture in such a way as to allow the reader to learn without feeling bombarded. It displays the problems with a patriarchal society so clearly - the ways that it hurts everyone involved - but it is SO frustrating to watch play out. I know I should have some empathy for Ichiro as a victim of the patriarchy, too, but by the end of his plot line I had so little left, even though the other characters somehow still did. I think the extent of my frustration is a sign that this book worked and I think I am glad I read it, but it also isn’t one I will likely pick up again.

I listened to this book and the narrator was wonderful. I would highly recommend the audio.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up - possible spoilers below


I think this book suffers from having too much of the plot described on the dust jacket - for me, it felt like it took nearly 250 pages for the rest of the book to “begin.” Even so, I think this book does a good job of highlighting the ways in which our unresolved childhood traumas (and intergenerational trauma) can cripple our self-worth and instill limiting beliefs that hold us back from living our most realized lives.

I was ultimately hoping for more insight from Hisashi. I think the book would have been more impactful if the readers were granted a few chapters from his perspective - we got plenty of exposition around Noriko and Ichiro’s decision to send Hisashi to America, but I wondered how that landmark event shaped Hisashi’s new life in the US. Without those chapters, the ending felt rushed and a little lackluster.

[Jason Muckley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loren Stephens' new book, "All Sorrows Can Be Borne" is a historical fiction about a young mother, Noriko Ito, a survivor of the "Little Boy" atomic bomb dropped by the US on Hiroshima, Japan in the years after the war. She marries an older man, Ichiro Uchida, manager at the European-style tearoom where she works in Osaka. As newlyweds, the couple become pregnant and months into the pregnancy, Ichiro becomes ill with Tuberculosis, the same disease which killed his mother when he was only three years old.

I guess I should have from the title that this novel would be sad. But the numerous struggles and grief that Noriko must endure one after the other is debilitating. The book was well-written and I liked the ending, but it was a hard one to stay with as things got worse and worse.

[Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the audiobook, the narrator occasionally over-articulates Japanese words in a way that feels like they’re trying to sound authentic, but it comes off a bit unnatural. It was slightly uncomfortable and just seemed like phonetic mimicry and cultural guesswork at times.

Other than that, the book’s contents tells a story of the devastating aftermath post-Hiroshima-bombing and the impact that carried over into the following generations of the Hiroshima citizens. Beautiful, frustrating and sad, I’m glad I came across this book.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was hard to get through.
But it has an interesting point of view.
There are people who wouldn't even dare to have dreams or think of a happy life. They just keep going. And when you think things are taking a turn for the better, it gets worse again.
The book also shows that depression is a real illness and should be treated as such. Because if it isn't it can have dire consequences.
It was heartbreaking.

[Katie F Harris · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at ~60%. Dragged on and on with no plot movement and continuing to consume this, especially via audiobook, felt like a chore. At 60% they hadn’t even given up the son yet. Small scenes (like a minor interaction with a neighbor, for example) were tedious and over detailed for no reason. Strong premise /potential - learned a lot about Japan and really felt for the characters’ struggles and heartbreak - but bad execution, IMO.

[Ruth Garcia-Corrales · Rating 4 out of 5]

All Sorrow Can be Borne, by Loren Stephens, Hiroshima survivor Noriko Ito goes to a life of tragedies with so many obstacles but survives. Her love for her son who she had to give away is was keep her going. Family tragedy, health and economic circumstances shape the future of Noriko, her husband and child.

[G.P. Gottlieb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A novel about Japanese society and postwar cultural norms, the human cost of war, and a mother’s love. Here's my New Books Network interview with author Loren Stephens: https://newbooksnetwork.com/all-sorro...

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the writing felt a little stiff and melodramatic at times, the story was intriguing and so sad. Based on the author’s husband’s life. A good look into another culture.